March is my favorite time of the year, not just because the weather gets warm and I can leave my prison cell… I mean house, but because the sports world has nothing less to talk about.
First, March Madness… who doesn’t know what this is? It’s the greatest time of the year in college sports. This year we have two very surprising final four teams, #8 seed Butler and #11 seed VCU.
Clutch shots and questionable calls gives the media (myself including) plenty to talk about days after including how their bracket is shot (including mine). But yet every sports fan must admit aside from losing money on their brackets this tournament has been great!
This year there are two superstars who have been clutch all tournament long, Kentucky Brandon Knight and UConn Kemba Walker. Walker has put the young UConn team on his back since the start of the season while taking the team that no one thought would even be in the sweet sixteen instead now he led them to the final four. Thanks mostly to Walker and his side kick freshman Jeremy Lamb the Huskies won five games in 5 days in the Big East Tournament to secure their number three seed in the tournament.
Walker scores game winning basket against Pittsburg in the Big East Tournament. |
Knight started the season slow and made soon question whether he has the talent to play basketball at the highest level, with two not one but two game winning shots so far in the tournament (each team has played for games) proves he is a clutch player. Knight is probably the fourth straight point guard to be coached by head coach John Calipari to be one-and-done and leave for the NBA (other three are Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, and John Wall).
Knights game winning shot against Ohio State in the sweet 16 advances the Wildcats to the Elite 8. |
After March Madness ends, it means the NFL draft is only a few weeks away. Now most people say so? The season hasn’t started and there may not be a season this year with the lockout. But to me this is the most important day of the year in the NFL.
All four Quarterbacks are possible first round picks. (Top left to bottom right: Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, Ryan Mallett) |
We get our first look at the superstars and busts of tomorrow. Despite being 18 I probably spend almost as much time watching tape on players and doing mock drafts and player rankings as ESPN’s draft experts. For people like me this is the time of the year for them. Despite that in most people’s opinion that former LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson is the best player in the draft he is not likely to go first overall to the Carolina Panthers.
Former LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson is rated overall number one play in the 2011 NFL draft by most experts. |
Also NBA playoffs are around the corner and teams are fighting for playoffs position and that tends to make games more close and critical. Clutch shot after clutch shot leaves you hard to stop watching the game even if your life depended on it.
Teams like the Bulls, Celtics, and Heat will be fighting for the number one seed in the east and teams like the Pacers, Bucks, and Bobcats will be fighting to just make the playoffs. So if you see a fight in a NBA game please do NOT be scared… unless it turns into a Ron Artest and Detroit thing then if you are at home, HIT THE RECORD BUTTON! If you in the stands, go hit Artest once for me, please!
Opening day of baseball is always a big deal we get to see the new rich players playing for their rich team (like the Yankees and Red Soxs) and then we forget about baseball till the playoff push comes around because let’s face it, who can watch all their favorite team’s 162 games in a season? Not me! It gets boring after away.
Also we have spring practice in college football and get to learn of all the new trouble players got themselves into like giving away autographs for tattoos, honestly don’t you think the NCAA should be more worried about players getting in trouble instead of getting tattoos for free?